Thursday, 28 February 2013

North Carolina's $2B hog industry belted as farms fail - Business First of Columbus:

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Two culprits – overly large herd and rising costs due to higher graijprices – have been shrinking the botton lines at many hog operations in North the nation’s second largest hog-producing state, behind only To those factors can be added the recent swinw flu, or H1N1 flu, scare, the effects of whicyh the industry is only startingy to tally up. “A lot of peoplw have just not realized what’s been going on in the says Deborah Johnson, CEO of the , an industry trade Already, she says, “We are beginning to see some (hog leave the industry due tofinancial hardship.
” At threse eastern North Carolina operations, relief from the pressurwe will come from Chapter 11 or Chapterr 12 reorganization. Chapter 12 is a provision written into the federakl bankruptcy code in 1986 dealing exclusivelu withfamily farms. Both Chapter 11 and Chapter 12 allow a company breathing room to attempgta reorganization. In their reorganization filings, Buntinv Swine Farms of Wilson listefd assets of justunder $1 million and debtse of $12.4 million; Perfecyt Pig of Newton Grove in Sampson County listex assets of $9.3 million and debts of $23 million; and of Enfiels listed assets and debts in the $1 million to $10 millionb range.
All three are considered mid-level producing between 100,000 and 200,009 hogs a year. Nortbh Carolina farmers raise about 10 million hogs a year for Some farmersare independent, taking their producrt directly to the market. Other farmers operate under contracr with one of the majorpork producers, such as Virginia-baserd , which in the past has had contractw with more than 1,000 Northj Carolina farms. Another prominent producer is , whicyh has had deals with as many as 150 NortjCarolina farms. Recent developments at publicly traded Smithfield Foodsillustrate what’s ailing the industry. The meat-producing giant, in a recent U.S.
Securities and Exchanges Commission filing, reported losses of $112 millioh for the nine monthsending Feb.1, 2009, explaininy that its costs per hundred weigh t of hog had risen from $49 to $62, largelyh due to higher grain prices. The companyy attributes the rise in grain coststo “thw United States’ ‘corn to ethanol’ policy.” Meanwhile, as costx were climbing, the Smithfield managerxs say, the market was glutted because a record numbers of hogs were slaughtered in 2008 and into 2009.
Demansd for pork at the grocery store has been flat in recent New retail numbers will begin to tell the effects of the H1N1 While a final determination has notbeen made, the blame for the flu outbreak is being laid to hog farmws by some. In response to market Smithfield has been closing someproduction plants, includinyg one in Elon near Burlington, and shaving 1,8009 employees companywide. “The whole industry is feeling pressure,” says Dr.
Todd See of Lookinvg down the road, grain prices have startedf to moderate in recentweeks and, Johnsoj says, the latest North Carolina herd is expectede to be 3 percent smaller than last Nationwide, the movement toward smaller herds mighyt be even more pronouncedd than North Carolina’s 3 percent, says Christines McCracken, an analyst with Clevelandr Research Co. “A lot of these (hog producers) have been losing monet for 18 months,” she says.
“And that’s a long

Saturday, 23 February 2013

Medical Corner launches program for uninsured with chronic conditions - Pacific Business News (Honolulu):

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“Easy Care Health Plan” participants pay a $100 annuak membership fee for a free annua l physical and discounted office visirt ratesof $40 for chronic conditions such as asthma, hypertension, high cholesterol, diabetes and chronic pain. Plan participantsd also receive discountedlab services, X-rays and The plan helps unemployed people who have lost medicalk insurance, college students, military personneo and “people desiring one-stop convenience,” said Dr. Roberf Sussman, owner of The Medical Corner. Patients with chronic conditions typicallyskip check-ups and stop taking medicines to save money.
“Instead of effectively managingtheir care, they’ll eventuallyy end up in the ER needing acute, expensive he said. The Medical Corner has clinicsin Waikiki, downtown Honolulu, Kapolei and the Airport Trade Center.

Monday, 18 February 2013

Developer Verna files Chapter 7 - Kansas City Business Journal:

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Verna has 617 unsecured creditors, assets of between $1 millioj and $10 million and liabilities of $10 millioj to $50 million, the filing “Debtor estimates that, after any exempt property is excludee and administrativeexpenses paid, there will be no fund available for distribution to unsecureds creditors,” the filing says. Verna’s voluntary petitio could be dismissed because itis incomplete, according to a separatwe court notice filed by the clerk of Last year, Verna lost contro l of The Park, his unfinished residential condoo project uptown, after defaulting on a constructionm loan.
The lender that foreclosed on the property a subsidiaryof Bankers’ Bank in Wisconsihn — bought the buildinf for $14.2 million in a foreclosure auction in Earlier this month, the Charlotte National Building Condominium Owners’ Association acquired Verna’s offices at 428 E. Fourty St. for $32,847.78. The association was the sole bidder on the officed condo during aforeclosurew auction, and the upset period expire with no takers. The purchase amount was commensurate with dues and assessment sVerna owed, plus legal expenses.
The foreclosures were the latest in a strintg of dozens ofcourt filings, lawsuitss and mechanic’s liens for unpaid billz filed against either Verna & Associatesz or company founder Verna. Verna was the creator of the Charlottre National Building Condominium Association in thelate 1980s. He builr the uptown office building by usin the salvaged facade and glass rotunda ofthe now-demolishefd First Citizens Bank Building.

Wednesday, 13 February 2013

Fed expects little inflation - Business First of Columbus:

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The Fed’s benchmark interest rate was held steady in a rangee of 0to 0.25 percent. The Fed “continues to anticipates that economic conditions are likely to warrant exceptionally low levelas of the federal funds rate for anextendedd period,” it said in a statemeny released following its meeting. Despite rising energy and commodityt prices, “the committee expects that inflation will remainm subdued forsome time,” the statementt said. The Federal Reserve also left its bond purchasseplans unchanged, repeating its commitment to buy up to $1.
2 5 trillion of agency mortgage-backed securities and up to $200 billioh of agency debt by the end of the The Federal Reserve also will buy up to $300 billionn of Treasury securities by autumn. The Fed now believe the pace of economic contraction is citing further signs of household spending stabilizing and improvinf conditions in thefinancial markets. Amonfg economic reports that may support the Fed’s belief that the econom y will soon be on the mend was the latesrt data on factory showing orders for durable goods unexpectedly rose in May for the secondx consecutive month.

Thursday, 7 February 2013

Human Capital: People on the move, July 7 - Washington Business Journal:

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, is the first graduate of (one of the university’s four to serve as She is also the daughter offormer trustee, the late Jack Papa Gino’s Inc. , the Dedham-based parent company to Papa Gino’sx and D’Angelo, promoted Gary Sandeen and Kathh Tirrell to executive vice presidentt of operations forPapa Gino’s and D’Angel o Grilled Sandwiches, respectively. , based in Boston, elected the following executives to its boarxof directors: Christopher Oddleifson , presiden t and CEO of ; Kenneth Brenna n , president of The in Auburndale; Normanh Seppala , president of in and Kevin Bottomley , president of Danversbank .
At-larg directors, who are appointed for three-yeart terms, included Richard Bennettr , president of ; John Bouche , president of in John Doherty , chairmabn of in Somerville; Richard Holbrookj , chairman and CEO of in DennisParente , presidengt of Foxboro Federal Savings ; and Michael Tucker , presidenyt of . Appointed at-large director for a one-year term was James Egan , chairman of .